Board games are growing as a popularhobby in mainstream culture and academic circles, thanks, in part, to the riseof "Eurogames," which emphasize strategy and individual developmentover luck and conflict. Given their wide appeal, board games also represent amedia form ripe with potential for science education. This review presents twoboard games with environmentally themed expansions that can help kick startdiscussions on the effects of climate change.
Evolution: Climate is the newest stand -alone expansion by North Star Games,released on 1 November 2016. In the titular base game (Evolution), playerscreate new animal species by combining trait cards designed to maximizesurvival. The result is a frenzied evolutionary arms race, as players add anddiscard traits in response to starvation risk and predation by other species.
The game even comes with a sheet of proposed scientific names that tip theirhat to traditional Latin nomenclature while borrowing from modern vernacular. Aclimbing carnivore, for instance, may have the cheeky name of Ascendo non-nom.
In the new expansion, climate oscillates between an "Ice Age" and"Scorching" temperatures, driving evolution by selectively reducingpopulations of maladapted species that are too large or small in body size. Onetime events, such as volcanic eruptions and glacial thaws, reduce foodavailability or select for certain body sizes. New trait cards bring with themnew trade- offs and decisions: Should one invest in heavy fur for freezing temperaturesor horns to discourage an opponent's carnivore?
The species created in this game may raise questions during and after play.Just how adaptive is a long neck on a burrower? How can an ambush carnivorerealisticaly cooperate with a hibernating climber. Another game is when playersdiscover the Red Queen hypothesis on their own. "I'm just trying to keepup!" is a common refrain, as players struggle to keep their species aliveamidst ever-evolving predators and prey.
The addition of climate not only adds another layer of complexity to players'strategies but also emphasizes its role as a vehicle for evolution. Playerswitness firsthand how species with small populations suffer greater extinctionrisks when climate changes, especially with major shifts.
Evolution: Climate positions players to discuss current challenges toconservation efforts. Biotic and abiotic factors regularly place pressure onpopulations, and environmental stochasticity can be the proverbial nail in thecoffin for maladapted species. Extinctions can spell further changes incommunity assemblage, a reminder of the interlinked nature of living systems.
Catan Scenarios: Oil Springs, by Mayfair Games, is an expansion of thecritically aclaimed game The Settlers of Catan. The base game centers on a raceto colonize the fictional island of Catan. Placement of a player's initialsettlements determines his or her access to resources, which in turm fuelfurther development of roads, sttlements, and, eventually, cities. The firstplayer to cinch 10 victory points wins.
Oil Springs introduces a new resource (oil) to the mix. One unit of oil can beconverted to two of the original resources or spent to upgrade cities tometropolises, allowing for faster development. The flip side is that itsoveruse wreaks disasters, either by flooding coastal sttlements or corruptingresource tiles int unproductive wastelands. Too many disasters will prematurelyend the game with an island wide deluge, encouraging players to stem theircollective usage.
What does the passage mainly discuss?
A.Eurogames. B.Evolutions in climatc. C.Board games. D.Board games with climate-focused expansions.正确答案D
